I have a theory that Wet n Wild rushed along their success a little too quickly. Last year, they came out with not only an outstanding Holiday Collection but also some very key catalog items that proved incredibly good for a lower end drugstore cosmetic brand.

This year, they made some valid attempts to top themselves but so far I’m not entirely impressed with the LE offerings particularly ones they released for the Holidays.

Let’s take a look at the Wet n Wild ColorIcon Eye Kit for Holiday 2011.

Here’s a little something different….Wet n Wild has introduced a limited edition baked ColorIcon Eye Kit available exclusively at Walgreens as part of their Holiday 2011 Collection.

I appreciate limited edition makeup products to a point. I think it creates a little more of a hype and a frenzy to own these products plus I think LE products definitely are special to some extent however they prove an ickle difficult to locate. In the case of these eye kits I found them near impossible to find and really had to do some extra leg work to locate them. LE is great but not to the point that finding the product is impossible. That’s when things get annoying. Releasing them only at Walgreens made it even more difficult in my opinion.

Outside of issues finding them I admit I was disappointed with the formulation. You’ll have hardcore beauty budgeters that may rave these to you but I think some of the raves also need to evened out with a few of the rants and I’m here to give you exactly that.

Packaging wise they did a rather nice job. It’s a basic black compact but what sets it apart is the fact the clear top doesn’t flip open it removes completely creating a nice palette you can hold in your hand as you apply. No tricky lid to hold open just a tray you can dip into as you apply. It’s not Chanel packaging mind you but the compact is practical and stores easily.

Now the set includes the six pan ColorIcon Baked Eyeshadow Palette plus a ColorIcon Eye Pencil for $4.99. This is the same price as last year’s Holiday palettes and quite a nice bargain overall however I found the formula not as nice as the prior palettes from the year before.

Baked, not Fried is a selection of warm chocolate browns, coppers, and lighter beiges. All colors I absolutely adore. There’s a lot of fall out involved here as the shadows kick up a fair bit of powder when a brush is applied to them. Patting gently on will minimize fall out but for the most part I had burst of powder, glitter, and shimmer raining down all over my cheeks and face during application. Speaking of shimmer…there’s a good deal of shimmer here that gives a bit of a disco ball effect going on. I noticed that they build nicely when used with a sponge applicator however they apply sheerer with ALOT of shimmer if you use them with a regular brush. Pigmentation is debatable as some shades are a bit on the sheerer side and others sport a better pay off but for the best results a sponge applicator is a necessary evil. I personally didn’t love the formula since it felt a little on the gritty side and wasn’t as silky as some of the regular ColorIcon Eyeshadows have been in the past. I also didn’t love how much fall out I had going on during application and the time I had to take out to clean it up after. Needless to say they aren’t as smooth or as lovely as the formula in the past palettes I’ve tried.

I’ve raved the eyeliners that came with the Holiday 2010 Collection but this one wasn’t as smooth and creamy so a bit of tugging was involved to get it on and in place correctly. The color does get props as it’s a lovely golden brown with flecks of gold shimmer.

Overall, the Wet n Wild Baked ColorIcon Holiday Palettes are a good solid deal but you definitely need a little time, patience, and love to create just the right look. The formula is good but it definitely doesn’t fall into the realms of great. If you’re looking for a cheaper budget option I’d recommend picking up some of the general catalog ColorIcon Palettes as this is in no way the same great formula as those however if you’re just a lover of all things WnW you might want to head into the haul. I personally wasn’t all that impressed this year.

I don’t think I join the hunt here. It is too glittery for me. I joined the hunt before for their regular ColorIcon e/s, they are good quality but a little too frosty and lot of fall out. I found myself not using these shadows much, but most for their single shadows

I got a couple. I like how they look (the swirled design, the shape) and the colors but I can’t say I reach for them much when I put on my makeup! And I am not too picky about eyeshadow either (although of course I prefer the nicer stuff)…I’m wearing Almay shadow today and wore Revlon yesterday (CVS clearance sale haha).

Oh my it looks beautiful on you darl Too bad w&w range is not available in my country anymore, the price is cheap too! I remember my very first makeup palette is from w&w when I was 12, it was so bright and colorful <3

Hey Muse, did you find these applied better wet rather than dry? I don’t go for “baked” eyeshadows much, but I’ve heard that in general they look better when packed on with a damp brush. Just a random thought I had. The colors are pretty but there are so many other (better quality and more easily locatable) warm browns that I don’t think I’ll bother to track this down.

So it is unlikely that these will pop up in Canada? I saw the glitter cream LE palettes just recently…I figured there was some lag time between those and these baked palettes? Thanks for the review Muse! Appreciated!